18-10-2024 (MOSCOW) The Russian Defence Ministry has announced the commencement of combat readiness tests for a unit equipped with Yars intercontinental ballistic missiles in a region northwest of Moscow. This development, reported by Russian news agencies on Friday, marks another significant step in the country’s ongoing series of nuclear drills this year.
The Yars missile system, a formidable component of Russia’s nuclear arsenal, boasts an impressive range of up to 11,000 kilometres and can be deployed from both silo-based and mobile launchers. Its capacity to deliver multiple nuclear warheads underscores its strategic importance in Russia’s military capabilities.
According to the Defence Ministry, as quoted by Interfax, the exercises in the Tver region will involve the unit practising the movement of Yars missiles across distances of up to 100 kilometres. The drills will focus on camouflage techniques, protection against air attacks, and defence against potential enemy sabotage groups.
This latest test comes at a time of heightened global tensions, coinciding with NATO’s annual nuclear exercise and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s recent unveiling of his “victory plan”. Security analysts interpret these Russian drills as a calculated message to the West, aimed at deterring deeper intervention in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
The timing of the exercise is particularly noteworthy, following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recent statement about expanding the scenarios that could trigger Russia’s use of nuclear weapons. This declaration has effectively lowered the threshold for their potential deployment, a move that Ukraine has condemned as nuclear blackmail.
These drills are not isolated incidents. Russia has conducted two previous rounds of exercises involving Yars missile units in July and has held three sets of drills this year to test preparations for launching tactical nuclear missiles, which have shorter ranges and lower yields compared to their intercontinental counterparts.
Throughout the conflict in Ukraine, Putin has repeatedly reminded the international community of Russia’s status as the world’s largest nuclear power. However, he has consistently maintained that Russia does not need to resort to nuclear weapons to achieve its objectives in Ukraine.
